Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia: Brett Munson ended a three-year title drought after closing with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 to seal his second Asian Development Tour (ADT) title at the PGM Panasonic Malaysia Championship.
The 30-year-old American overturned a three-shot deficit to claim a two-stroke victory with a winning total of 18-under-par 270 at the Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia, the same venue at which he secured his breakthrough ADT title in 2014.
Thai Jakraphan Premsirigorn, a one-time ADT winner in 2013, signed for a 68 to take second place while compatriot Panuwat Muenlek and overnight leader Liu Yan-wei of China shared third place on 273 following respective rounds of 71 and 73.
South African Mathiam Keyser (66), Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai (69) and Finland’s Janne Kaske (72) shared fifth place on 274 with Sukree Othman (66), who emerged as the highest ranked Malaysian at the RM250,000 (about US$55,000) event.
With the tournament offering a spot to the leading Malaysian professional at the Panasonic Open Japan, Sukree will now get the opportunity to tee up in the tournament sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour from April 20-23.
Munson was overjoyed with his victory, which was a timely confidence booster as he looks ahead to his season on the Asian Tour, having regained his card at the Qualifying School last month.
“I played solid. It’s nice to win again and at the same venue! The conditions were good. It was not too windy and it was pretty easy to score out there. This win is a huge confidence booster as it will set me up nicely for the season ahead now that I have regained my status on the Asian Tour.
“I got off to a good start with two birdies in my opening three holes. All my birdies went made from inside 10 feet. Nothing really spectacular. I made a 16-footer par putt on 14 which was one of the highlights,” said Munson, who did not drop a single shot in his last 27 holes.
Munson signalled his arrival in Asia when he won his first title in what was only his second event on the ADT three years ago. He finished in fifth place on the Order of Merit that year to secure his Asian Tour card for 2015. He then finished 53^rd on the Asian Tour rankings to retain his Asian Tour card for 2016.
A 64^th-place finish on the money list last year saw him return to the Qualifying School in January, where he successfully regained his playing rights for the 2017 Asian Tour season.
Munson enjoyed a tied-second finish at last month’s ADT season-opener and finished tied-20^th at the Asian Tour’s Bashundhara Bangladesh Open two weeks later.
For his win, Munson earned US$9,816 and received six Official World Golf Ranking points.